Manual propelling and steering apparatus for small boats



Oct. 18, 1960 w, B, HUNT 2,956,535

MANUAL PROPELLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR SMALL BOATS Filed May 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 46 I 7 INVENTOR 35 WALKERBHUNT ATTORNEY Oct. 18, 1960 w. B. HUNT 2,956,535

MANUAL PROPEILLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR SMALL BOATS Filed May 11, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALKEPBHUNT United States Patent MANUAL PROPELLING AND STEERING APPARATUS FOR SMALL BOATS Walker B. Hunt, P.0. Box 63, Tallapoosa, Ga.

Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,540

6 Claims. (Cl. 115-24) This invention relates to an apparatus of simple and lightweight construction which may be readily secured detachably to the transom of a small boat, such as a rowboat, and which may be manually actuated with one hand for propelling and steering the boat, so that the other hand of the operator will be free to manipulate a fishing rod for casting or trolling.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat propelling and steering apparatus having parts which may be readily adjusted for varying the depth at which the propeller will operate in the water and for accommodating the apparatus to boat transoms which extend to diiferent heights above the water line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a propelling and steering apparatus including adjustable means for varying the amount of torque required to effect steering of the boat and for normally maintaining the swivelly mounted parts of the apparatus against swivel movement to enable a boat to be propelled by the apparatus in a preset course.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a propelling and steering apparatus which may be quickly and easily applied to or removed from a boat transom and which may also be quickly assembled or dismantled.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the apparatus in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view primarily in front elevation, taken substantially along the line 2- 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, taken along line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of another part of the apparatus, taken substantially along aplane as indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 66 of Figure 1, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken substantially along the line 7-7 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating the application and use of the manual propelling and steering apparatus, designated generally 10 and comprising the invention, a portion of the transom 11 and bottom 12 of a small boat, such as a rowboat, is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The apparatus 10 includes a transom clamp, designated generally 13, which includes a plate 14 of substantial length as compared to its width which is disposed against the rear side of the transom 11 and vertically thereof and which has a widened and forwardly turned extension ice 15 at its upper end which extends forwardly across the upper edge of the transom 11. Said forward extension 15 has a depending tapered extension 16 at its forward edge which extends downwardly a short distance on the forward side of the transom 11 and which is spaced forwardly therefrom. The parts 14, 15 and 16 are formed of sufiiciently heavy material so that said parts are substantially rigid. A clamping screw 17 is threaded through a threaded opening 18 of the portion 16. A clamping head 19 is swivelly mounted on the rear end of the screw 17 and a handle 20 is secured to the forward end of said screw. By rotating the handle 20 in one direction, the screw 17 can be moved rearwardly through the opening 18 for displacing the head 19 toward the plate 14 so that a part of the transom 11 will be clamped between said head and the plate 14. The upper portion [15 is provided with transversely spaced upstanding and aligned apertured ears or lugs 21.

The apparatus 10 includes an elongated rigid tilt bar 22 which is preferably square in cross section, as seen in Figure 4. A crossbar 23 is secured crosswise to the tilt bar 22, near one end thereof, and said crossbar has outwardly projecting apertured lugs 24 which are disposed in alignment with one another and which are spaced apart a distance to fit loosely between the apertured lugs 21. A headed pivot pin 25 extends loosely through the lugs 21 and 24 for swingably connecting the tilt bar 22 to the transom clamp 13. A cotter pin 26 extends through the free end of the pivot pin 25 for detachably retaining said pivot pin in engagement with the lugs 21 and 24, as seen in Figure 2. The tilt bar 22 extends downwardly from the pivot 25 behind the clamp plate 14 and is mounted for forward and rearward swinging movement toward and away from said clamp plate. The tilt bar 22, near to but spaced from its lower end, is provided with laterally projecting enlargements 27, the spacing between outer sides of which is approximately equal to the width of the clamp plate 14. As best seen in Figure 6, a headed bolt 28 extends through said enlargements 27 and the tilt bar 22 and through corresponding openings of two rigid braces 29, which straddle said enlargements 27. The braces 29 have spaced openings 30 to selectively receive the bolt 28 and said braces are adjustably secured on the bolt 28 by a wing nut 31. The braces 29 extend inwardly from the tilt bar 22 and have forward ends straddling the edge portions of the clamp plate 14 and which are secured thereto by headed screws or threaded studs 32. Thus, the braces 29 maintain the tilt bar 22 at a desired angle relative to the clamp plate 14, preferably so that the tilt bar 22 is disposed substantially vertical, as seen in Figure 1.

Aligned bearings 33 and 34 are secured to and project from the rear side of the tilt bar 22, adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, respectively.

A rod 35 of circular cross section extends through and is journaled in the bearings 33 and 34. A collar 36 is adjustably secured to the rod 35 by a setscrew 3-7 and bears upon the upper end of the bearing 33 for adjustably supporting the rod 35 relative to the bearings 33 and 34. The rod, beneath the lower bearing 34, has a rearwardly extending portion 38 terminating in an upturned portion 39, constituting the lower terminal of the rod. A hearing 4! is provided with a downwardly opening socket 41, as best seen in Figure 7, in which said upturned rod end 39 is detachably secured by a setscrew 37. A hearing member 42 has a transverse bore 43 in which a portion of the rod 35 is slidably received. The bearing member 42 is secured to the rod 35 by a setscrew 37 so that a bearing socket 44 thereof faces rearwardly and is disposed in alignment with the bearing 40. The forward end of a propeller shaft 45 is journaled in the bearing socket 44 and said shaft extends rearwardly through and has a portion journaled in the bearing 40. A conventional propeller 46 is adjustably secured to the rear end of the propeller shaft 45, asby a setscrew, 37. A collar 47- is adjustably secured to the propeller shaft 45 by a setscrew 37 and bears against the forward side of the bearing 40' to maintain said propeller shaft'in engagement with the bearings 40 and 42. A small sprocket wheel 48 is secured, as by a setscrew 37, to the propeller shaft 45, between the collar 47 and bearing .42.

A hearing bracket 49 has a downwardly opening socket 50'at its lower end, as seen in Figure 3, in which the upper end of the rod 35 seats. The bearing bracket 49 has vertically spaced substantially parallel bores 51 and 52 which are disposed above the socket and crosswise thereof and of the bearing bracket. One' end of a crankshaft supportingarm 53 fits detachably in the lower bore 51 and is supported by the bearing bracket 49 crosswise of the rod 35. Said rod 35 and the supporting arm 53 are detachably secured to the bearing bracket 49 by setscrews 37. The arm 53 extends forwardly from the bearing bracket 49 and has its forward portion extending through a lower bore 54 of an upright bearing post 55 and which is provided with an upper bore 56. The bearing post 55 is secured to the arm 53 by a setscrew 37 so that the bore 56 is disposed in alignment with the bore 52. A crankshaft 57 extends through and is journaled in the bores 52 and 56 and is thus supported by the bearing bracket 49 and bearing post 55, above and substantially parallel to the supporting arm 53. Thrust collars 58 are adjustably secured to the crankshaft 57 by setscrews 37 and bear against adjacent sides of the bearing bracket 49 and bearing post 55 to prevent sliding movement of the crankshaft in the bores 52 and 56. A sprocket wheel 59 is secured by a setscrew 37 to the rear end of the crankshaft 57, behind the bearing bracket 49 and an endless chain 60 is trained over the sprocket wheels 59 and 48. The sprocket wheel 59 is preferably substantially larger than the sprocket wheel 48, as best seen in Figure 2. The crankshaft 57 at its forward end has a crankarm 61 which is disposed forwardly of the bearing post 55 and supporting arm 53. A crank handle 62 is swivelly connected to and extends forwardly from the free end of the crankarm 61.

A friction disc 63, as best seen in Figure 5, is detachably secured by a setscrew 37 to the rod 35, between the bearings 33 and 34; The disc 63 is mounted in recessed portions 64 of two casing halves 65 having peripheral portions 66 which surround the disc 63 and through which extend the bolts of bolt and wing nut fastenings 6 7, by which the casing halves 65 are connected together. The casing halves are supported by the disc 63 and are main tained out of contact with one another by said disc. Parts of said peripheral portions 66 of the two casing halves are provided with aligned notches 68, through which a part of the tilt bar 22 extends, for keying the casing halves to the tilt bar so that said casing halves cannot turn with the disc 63. The bolt and wing nut fastenings 67 may be tightened or loosened to vary the frictional engagement between the casing halves 65 and the disc 63 to thus vary the amount of force required for turning the disc 63 in said casing halves and the rod 35 in the bearings 33 and 34.

The bearing members 40, 42, 49 and 55 are provided with conventional lubricant fittings 69 for lubricating the bores and sockets in which the shafts 45 and 57 are journaled.

The collar 36 is adjusted on the rod 35 so that the propeller shaft 45 and propeller 46 will be disposed pref erably below the level of the boat bottom 12, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. The handle 62 can be engaged with either hand for revolving the crankshaft 57 in either direction. When the crankshaft is revolved in one direction the boat will be propelled forward and when the crankshaft is revolved in the other di e t on, the boat will be driven astern by the mechanism 10, assuming that the bearing 40 is disposed directly behind the bearing member 42. The setscrews 67 are tightened sufiiciently so that rotation of the crankshaft 56, as heretofore described, will not cause the rod 35 to turn in the bearings 33 and 34. Thus, the boat will be maintained on a desired course. If it is de'sir'edto steer the boat either to the right or to the left, the forward end of the crankshaft 57 or the bearing post 55 can be manually engaged to function as a tiller for turning the rod 35 in the bearings 33 and 34 to swing the propeller 46 either to the left or to the right, so that it will then drive the boat in a desired turning course.

It will be readily apparent that the mechanism 10 may be operated conveniently with either hand, leaving the other hand free for manipulating a fishing rod. Thus, a person while operating the mechanism 10 can also conveniently cast or troll. With the mechanism 10, a small boat, such as a ro-wboat, can be propelled at a speed comparable to a rowing speed with much less manual effort.

The apparatus 10, for the most part, can be manufactured from aluminum, aluminum alloy or other light weight metals, so that it will be light in weight and convenient to handle, yet capable of functioning efficiently for accomplishing its intended results.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A manual boat propelling and steering apparatus comprising a clamp adapted to be detachably secured to and supported by a boat transom, a substantially vertically disposed tilt bar, means pivotally connecting said tilt bar, near an upper end thereof, to an upper end of the transom clamp for supporting the tilt bar behind the transom clamp and for forward and rearward swinging movement toward and away from the transom clamp, brace means adjustably connected to the tilt bar and secured to the transom clamp, beneath and spaced from the pivot means, for supporting the tilt bar at a desired angle relative to the transom clamp, bearings fixed to and projecting 'rearwardly from'vertically spaced portions of the tilt bar, a rod journaled in and supported by said bearings and havinga rearwardly and upwardly turned back lower portion, bearings secured to the rod and to the turned back lower portion thereof, below said tilt bar, a propeller shaft journaled in said last mentioned bearings, a propeller fixed to said propeller shaft, a crankshaft supporting arm, means detachably securing said crankshaft supporting arm to the upper end of said rod and at substantially a right angle thereto, said supporting arm being supported by' and'extending forwardly from the rod over the tilt bar and transom clamp, bearings projecting upwardly from end portions of said supporting arm, a crankshaft extending through and journaled in said bearings, means forming a driving connection betwen said crankshaft and the propeller shaft, and said crankshaft having a crankarm and crank handle disposed beyond the forward end of said supporting arm for manual rotation of the crankshaft to drive the propeller shaft and propeller.

2. A boat propelling and steering apparatus as in claim 1, a collar adjustably secured to said rod and bearing upon one of the tilt bar bearings for varying the elevation of said rod and the propeller shaft relative to the tilt bar.

3. A boat propelling and steering appartus as in claim 1, a friction disc secured to said-rod, and friction members keyed to the tilt bar and frictionally engaging said disc to resist rotation of the rod in the tilt bar bearings, said crankshaft supporting arm forming a tiller for forcibly turning said rod in the tilt bar bearings for swingably mq n e o er at o t e i a 4 A boat propelling and steering apparatus as in claim 3, and means adjustably connecting said friction members 6. A boat propelling and steering apparatus as in claim to one another for varying the frictional engagement of 1, said rod, the supporting arm and the means connecting said members with the disc. the rod and supporting arm forming a frame for support- 5. A boat propelling and steering apparatus as in claim ing and journaling the crankshaft and propeller shaft,

1, said means forming a driving connection between said 5 Said frame being supported and journaled by said tilt bar crankshaft and propeller shaft comprising sprocket wheels bearingsfixed to said shafts and an endless chain trained over said sprocket wheels, said sprocket wheels and chain being References cued m the file of this atent disposed behind said rod, and the sprocket wheel of the UNITED STATES PATENTS crankshaft being substantially larger in diameter than 10 402,482 Schildknecht Apr, 30, 1389 the sprocket wheel of the propeller shaft. 2,172,401 Nelson Sept. 12, 1939 

